Insights into the Benefits of Yoga

The practice of Yoga has been used for centuries to promote a sense of physical and spiritual well-being. Although the origins of Yoga are shrouded in mystery, it is generally accepted to have begun at the dawn of civilization some 5000 years ago. A number of respected scholars have suggested that Yoga grew out of the shamanistic culture of Mehgarh, located in the region now known as Afghanistan. In fact, many facets of Hindu culture have their roots in Mehgarh.

The principle goal of the practice of Yoga is to assist practitioners in the transcendence of the human condition. It was an attempt to discern the order of the cosmos, and to apply those principles to daily living. Yoga has been linked to the Indus-Sarasvati civilization, which was one of the oldest and most advanced of the ancient cultures. This civilization also gave birth to some of the oldest scriptures ever discovered in modern times. The Vedas are considered by many as a form of divine revelation, and contain many references to a higher power and to the practice of Yoga.

On the physical plain, Yoga has shown incredible promise in treating and managing many illnesses. The practice of Yoga has a number of physical benefits for practitioners. It facilitates flexibility, and assists in the lubrication of joints, tendons, and ligaments. Many of the poses and positions work to massage the organs, thus stimulating the body’s detoxification process. The physical benefits of Yoga are often considered secondary to the spiritual development. Yoga has the incredible ability to bring into harmony the physical and the spiritual elements of the individual experience.

Meditation also plays a significant role in Yoga. By combining intense meditation with specialized physical exercise, practitioners are able to achieve a unity of body, mind, and soul. The intent is to create a sense of balance and harmony, both internally and externally. The emotional calmness associated with meditation works to reduce stress, which is considered by many as one of the root causes of physical illness. The primary goal of Yoga is to empower the individual to transcend the physical world and to achieve a sense of enlightenment or self-realization. For those interested in understanding and fully realizing the oneness of all things, a commitment to the principles and practice of Yoga will undoubtedly unlock the secrets of the cosmos in all their wondrous glory.

Brodi Saatpha has been practicing Yoga for a number of years. When she is not striving to transcend reality, she writes for yoga-insight.com ? an enlightening and refreshing website with information about the history of yoga, yoga certification, worldwide yoga retreats and more.

Tracing the History of Yoga

The history of Yoga has a lot to do with the present times. Yoga started some 5000
years ago when human civilization has only begun. Scholars have believed that Yoga
was originated out of Stone Age ?Shamanism?.

This is because there were some cultural similarities between Mehrgarh which was a
Neolithic settlement and the Modern Hinduism. The shamanistic culture of Mergarh
was in fact influenced by Hindu ideals, symbols and rituals of the present. The
ancient shamanism and early Yoga had so much similarity for the reason both
wanted to go beyond the human condition.

Shamanism?s primary goal was to heal the members who were in their society and at
the same time act as the religious mediators.

Archaic Yoga also had the same purpose as they were community oriented and they
aimed to determine the enormous order through senses and inner vision which then
can be applied to our daily lives.

As time went on, Yoga has progressed and has regarded the inmost experience.
Yogis then have focused on how to improve the individual enlightenment, recovery
and salvation.

Yoga?s evidences were first tracked in the archeological evidence which was found in
stone seals exhumed from the Indus valley. Yoga postures were traced and seen fro
the figures which were illustrated in the stone seals. the artifacts were placed on
History books circa 3000 B.C., which was linked to the great Indus-Sarasvati
Civilization which was known to be the largest civilization that exist in the ancient
world. The Indus-Sarasvati, being a maritime society, exported goods all over Africa
and the Middle East. They build up sewage systems and put up geometrical brick
roads and constructed multistory buildings.

The Vedas are known as the oldest scripture in the world, which were the ancient
texts brought by the Indus-Sarasvati civilization. It was a compilation of hymns that
commends a high power which included the oldest recorded teachings in Yoga.
They have considered this the divine revelation. The intelligence of the Vedas was
known as the Pre-classical Yoga or the Vedic. This was described by the ritualistic
ceremonies that the Yoga practitioners have been required in order to go beyond
the limitations of the mind.

The history of yoga would not have been completed in the classical stage of yoga.
After the time and turn of the millennium, yoga and its spread in different forms
have come up with the need for standardization. This is important so that the
people will be aware with it and it can be applied by them. Due to this, during the
second century, C.E., Patanjali has composed and collected seminal text which was
the Yoga-Sutra which had defined the Classical Yoga.

At the age of Postclassical Yoga in the enormous history of Yoga, it gave rise to
some productive literature which has included the Tantra and the Hatha which is
famously known nowadays. These were taught in schools for Yoga and practiced by
many. Therefore, post classical Yoga is described to the adaptation of our present
state. It is the time when yoga has evolved greatly and introduced to people. It has
then been applied in the United States in the 1800?s.

Now in the recent decades, yoga has greatly and swiftly evolved. Swami Sivananda
was one of the prominent gurus ever to master yoga. He has served as a doctor and
he has generously opened up schools in Europe and America.

Now as we move on with the yoga practices that we have today, it is much helpful
and easier to understand if we looked back on the history of yoga.

? Copyright Melvin Chua, All Rights Reserved.

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